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Client intake

The thinking before the building.

This is where your website starts. Not with a template or a trend, but with a structured account of who you are, how you sound, and what the site needs to do. Work through the worked examples, tick what resonates, cross what does not, and answer in your own words.

Your answers save as you typeAdd your name and email below and we send you a private link that brings you back to your answers from any device, any time.
Two parts, two sittingsPart 1 is the brand: do it with your decision-makers, allow 60 to 90 minutes. Part 2 is scope and logistics: 30 to 45 minutes for whoever runs the project day to day.
Submit each part when it is readyThey do not need to be finished together. Press Submit at the top and your answers come straight to us.

Your details

Name and email start your intake: we email you a private link so you can continue on any device. These details travel with each part you submit.

Your name

Email address

Contact phone number (optional)

Business or organisation name

Current or future domain name (if known)

PART 1 OF 2 · CLIENT BRAND & WEB INTAKE

Brand & Creative Direction

Client Brand & Web Intake: Strategy, Identity, Voice and Experience

How to Use This Document

This is Part 1 of 2. It captures everything needed to define the feel, voice, and visual identity of your brand and website. Complete this document with your decision-makers before moving to Part 2 (Project Scope & Build).

Layer	Sections	Who completes it	Time needed
Creative Direction	Archetype, Voice, Colour, Typography	Founders + marketing leads	60 to 90 min
Visual Expression	Imagery, Art Direction, UX Tone	Creative decision-makers	30 to 45 min

Brand Archetype & Personality

Archetypes are universal character patterns that audiences recognise instantly. Your primary archetype should dominate every brand decision. A complementary archetype adds a layer of nuance, but never competes with the primary.

The Twelve Archetypes

Archetype	Family	Core Desire	Brand Personality	Famous Examples
The Innocent	Freedom	Safety, simplicity, goodness	Honest, optimistic, pure	Dove, Coca-Cola (classic), Nintendo
The Sage	Freedom	Truth, knowledge, wisdom	Expert, intelligent, trustworthy	Google, TED, McKinsey, BBC
The Explorer	Freedom	Freedom, adventure, discovery	Independent, pioneering, bold	Patagonia, REI, Jeep, North Face
The Outlaw	Ego	Revolution, disruption, liberation	Edgy, challenging, counterculture	Harley-Davidson, Liquid Death, Virgin
The Magician	Ego	Transformation, vision, wonder	Visionary, inspiring, inventive	Disney, Apple, Tesla, Dyson
The Hero	Ego	Mastery, courage, triumph	Brave, determined, competent	Nike, Adidas, FedEx, Under Armour
The Lover	Social	Intimacy, beauty, passion	Sensual, warm, indulgent	Chanel, Jo Malone, Haagen-Dazs
The Jester	Social	Joy, humour, lightness	Fun, irreverent, spontaneous	Old Spice, Innocent, Ben & Jerry's
The Everyman	Social	Belonging, reliability, fairness	Relatable, unpretentious, honest	IKEA, Levi's, eBay, Target
The Caregiver	Order	Compassion, service, nurturing	Generous, empathetic, supportive	Johnson & Johnson, Macmillan, UNICEF
The Ruler	Order	Control, order, excellence	Authoritative, prestigious	Rolex, Mercedes-Benz, Amex, IBM
The Creator	Order	Innovation, craft, self-expression	Creative, imaginative, inventive	Apple (products), LEGO, Adobe, Etsy

Your Archetype Selection

Choose one dominant primary. If you add a complementary, describe how it enhances (not contradicts) the primary. Archetypes from different families often create the most interesting brand tension (e.g. Hero + Jester = aspiration with wit).

Primary Archetype (dominant, shapes approximately 80% of brand decisions)

Primary archetype

e.g. The Creator

Why it fits our audience

In 2 to 3 sentences: who we serve and why this archetype resonates with them

Why it fits our offer

What we do and how this archetype makes our position distinct

Complementary Archetype (optional, adds nuance, never dominates)

Complementary archetype

e.g. The Sage. Leave blank if the primary stands alone.

How it enhances the primary

e.g. 'The Sage adds credibility and depth to our Creator energy'

Brand-as-Person Exercise

Describe your brand as if it were a single person. This sharpens every decision that follows.

Age and life stage

e.g. Late 30s, mid-career, comfortable but still ambitious

Profession and education

e.g. Senior designer at a boutique agency, self-taught coder

Where they live / dress

e.g. East London flat, wears Cos and vintage Levi's

How they spend a Saturday

e.g. Farmers market, reads Monocle, tinkers with side projects

What they believe in

e.g. That craft matters. That shortcuts show. That good work speaks.

What they would never do

e.g. Use jargon. Oversell. Punish a loyal customer.

Tone of Voice

Tone of voice is how your brand sounds in writing. It flows directly from your archetype. The same information, written in different voices, creates completely different impressions.

Voice Profiles: Which Resonates?

Read each profile. Tick, cross, or annotate in the right-hand column.

Profile	What it sounds like	Brand examples	Live guide
The Expert	Authoritative but never arrogant. Leads with evidence and precision. Earns trust through depth.	The Economist, McKinsey, Harvard Business Review	View
The Warm Guide	Friendly, helpful, and clear. Accessible without dumbing down. Reads like a knowledgeable friend.	Monzo, Innocent Drinks, Notion	View
The Bold Provocateur	Disruptive, confident, surprising. Challenges convention. Makes you stop mid-scroll.	Oatly, Liquid Death, BrewDog	View
The Trusted Friend	Conversational, direct, honest. No corporate speak. Like a colleague you actually like.	Mailchimp, Basecamp, Buffer	View
The Premium Whisper	Refined, understated, precise. Says less, means more. Never shouts, never discounts.	Aesop, Net-a-Porter, Rolls-Royce	View
The Passionate Cause	Values-first, story-led, emotive. The brand has a mission and the writing reflects it.	Patagonia, Airbnb, Tony's Chocolonely	View
The Playful Jester	Witty, irreverent, self-aware. Doesn't take itself too seriously. Earns loyalty through laughter.	Innocent, Ben & Jerry's, Duolingo	View

Voice Spectrum: Position Your Brand

Mark where you sit on each axis. Aim for clear positions, not the middle.

Words We Use / Words We Never Use

Words we USE

Words we NEVER USE

Sample Sentence: Write It In Your Voice

Rewrite this sentence in your brand voice: "Your order has shipped and will arrive in two days."

Our version

Write it here in your own voice

Colour Palette & Psychology

Colour makes an emotional impression before a single word is read. Choose your direction by intent first, then specify exact values. If you do not know hex codes, describe the feeling and we will propose specific colours for your approval.

Colour Direction: Which Intent Fits?

Tick the row that resonates most. The three shaded squares show an example palette for each direction.

Intent	Feel			Palette	Brand examples
Trust + Authority	Stability, professionalism, calm	`#1A3A6A`	`#6B7280`	`#E8EDF2`	Barclays, LinkedIn, PayPal
Energy + Urgency	Excitement, appetite, action	`#DC2626`	`#EA580C`	`#F59E0B`	Coca-Cola, Deliveroo, Monzo
Luxury + Premium	Exclusivity, prestige, restraint	`#111827`	`#1A2B4A`	`#C9A84C`	Chanel, Rolex, Burberry
Natural + Organic	Freshness, sustainability, honesty	`#3D7A4F`	`#A07850`	`#FAFAF5`	Whole Foods, Patagonia, Daylesford
Creative + Bold	Energy, originality, disruption	`#7C3AED`	`#EC4899`	`#A3E635`	Oatly, Gymshark, Spotify
Calm + Wellness	Serenity, clarity, safety	`#7B9EA6`	`#9B8FC4`	`#FFF8F0`	Calm, Headspace, Aesop

Palette Specification

Complete the fields you know. For anything without a code, describe what you are looking for in plain language and we will build a proposed palette for your sign-off.

Brand Colours

Primary brand colour

HEX e.g. #1A2B4A | or describe: 'a deep, serious navy blue'

Secondary colour

HEX e.g. #C4863A | or describe: 'a warm amber, like aged whisky'

Accent (CTAs, highlights, links)

HEX e.g. #2D6A4F | or describe: 'a fresh mid-green, clean not earthy'

Neutral Colours

Light neutral (backgrounds, cards)

HEX | or describe: 'almost white with a warm grey tone'

Dark neutral (body text, headings)

HEX | or describe: 'near-black, slightly warm, not pure black'

Functional Colours (can stay as defaults if unsure)

Success state

HEX | or leave blank for us to propose a green that fits your palette

Warning state

HEX | or leave blank

Error state

HEX | or leave blank (typically a muted red)

Reference Images (optional but useful)

Colours you love and why

e.g. 'The Aesop website palette, warm and restrained. Headspace pastels, calm and modern.'

Colours to avoid and why

e.g. 'No bright primary red, too aggressive. Avoid bright greens, feel too cheap.'

Typography

Typography carries personality before content is read. Pairings matter more than individual fonts. Each direction below carries a distinct emotional weight.

Pairing Directions: Which Fits?

Direction	Feel	Heading font	Body font	Site using it
Editorial contrast	Authoritative, intelligent, established	Serif display	Humanist sans	The Guardian (theguardian.com)
Modern minimal	Clean, confident, tech-forward	Geometric sans	Geometric sans	Linear (linear.app)
Warm humanist	Approachable, creative, independent	Humanist sans	Humanist sans	Notion (notion.so)
Expressive display	Bold, disruptive, memorable	Custom/display serif	Clean sans	Oatly (oatly.com)
Classic premium	Luxury, timeless, refined	Elegant serif	Refined serif	Net-a-Porter (net-a-porter.com)
Slab grounded	Robust, direct, no-nonsense	Slab serif	Neutral sans	Mailchimp (mailchimp.com)

Your Font Selection

Heading font name + source

e.g. Playfair Display via Google Fonts (free)

Body font name + source

e.g. Inter via Google Fonts (free)

Accent / mono font (optional)

e.g. DM Mono for code or callouts

Licensing notes

Web use confirmed? Any subscription needed?

Type Scale

Scale	Ratio	Feel	Used by
Major Third	1.25	Tight, editorial, dense	Medium, editorial sites
Perfect Fourth	1.333	Balanced, readable, web-default	Most SaaS, agency sites
Golden Ratio	1.618	Dramatic, display-led, spacious	Fashion, luxury, portfolio sites

Imagery & Art Direction

Imagery has its own grammar. Choose a primary photography style, an illustration approach, and a single iconography system, then apply them consistently.

Photography Direction

Style	Feel	Example brand	View
Product-led / stark	Clinical, premium, precise. Subject floats on white or deep backgrounds.	Apple	apple.com/uk
Warm lifestyle	Real people, natural light, candid moments. Aspirational but human.	Airbnb	airbnb.co.uk
Epic / environmental	Dramatic landscapes, people in context, scale. Emotional and cinematic.	Patagonia	patagonia.com
Editorial / high-contrast	Styled shots, fashion lighting, strong shadows. Sophisticated and curated.	Net-a-Porter	net-a-porter.com
Documentary / anti-stock	Unposed, diverse, honest. Deliberately imperfect. Builds trust.	Death to Stock	deathtothestockphoto.com
Bold / colour-saturated	High saturation, punchy crops, graphic impact. Stops the scroll.	Gymshark	gymshark.com
Premium stock (curated)	High-quality, not generic. Feels intentional and editorial.	Stocksy	stocksy.com

Illustration Direction

Style	Feel	Brand using it
Flat / geometric	Modern, scalable, diverse. Works at all sizes.	Mailchimp, Intercom
Abstract / bold	Artistic, expressive. Strong brand impact.	Dropbox (abstract shapes)
Minimal line art	Clean, premium. Understated but distinctive.	Notion, Linear, Stripe
Hand-drawn / sketch	Warm, human, independent. Suggests craft.	Innocent Drinks, Monzo
3D / rendered	Cutting-edge, immersive, tech-forward.	Figma, Vercel, Loom
No illustration	Photography only: cleaner for certain premium brands.	Aesop, Net-a-Porter, Rolex

Iconography

Pick one icon family and use it everywhere. Mixing styles looks unfinished.

Icon family selected

e.g. Lucide, open source, matches our clean modern direction

UX Tone, Microcopy & Motion

Brand voice doesn't stop at marketing copy. Every button, error message, empty state, and loading indicator is a brand touchpoint.

Microcopy Benchmarks

These real examples show how different brands write the same UI moments. Annotate what feels right.

UI Moment	Weak version	Strong version	Brand doing it well
Empty state	'No results'	'Nothing here yet. Start by adding your first project.'	Notion, Linear (linear.app)
Error 404	'Error 404'	'We can't find that page. Try searching, or head home.'	Mailchimp (mailchimp.com)
CTA button	'Submit'	'Send my request' or 'Get my free quote'	Basecamp, ConvertKit
Loading state	'Loading...'	'Hang tight, fetching your results.'	Slack, Intercom
Success message	'Done.'	'You're all set. Check your inbox for next steps.'	Stripe (stripe.com)
Password error	'Invalid password'	'That password doesn't match. Want to reset it?'	Monzo, Revolut
Onboarding step	'Step 2 of 5'	'You're halfway there. Just two more things.'	Duolingo, Notion

Motion & Animation Approach

Overall pace

Fast and snappy / Measured and considered / Slow and cinematic

Easing preference

Sharp (ease-in-out) / Bouncy (spring) / Linear / Subtle (ease)

What SHOULD animate

e.g. Page transitions, hover states, data loading

What SHOULD NOT

e.g. Form fields, small UI elements, anything that delays the user

Website References

Three websites that capture how we want to feel

URL

What it nails

Three websites we want to feel different from

URL

What to avoid

PART 2 OF 2 · CLIENT BRAND & WEB INTAKE

Project Scope & Build

Client Brand & Web Intake: Scope, Content, Technical, SEO and Launch

How to Use This Document

This is Part 2 of 2. Fill in what you know and leave anything blank that you are unsure about. We will work through the gaps together. Complete Part 1 (Brand & Creative Direction) first.

The Basics

Timeline

Target launch date

e.g. 1 September 2025. Rough is fine.

Any hard deadline?

e.g. An event, pitch, or product launch. Tell us why the date matters.

Point of Contact

Your name and email

Who are we dealing with day to day?

Anyone else involved?

e.g. a co-founder or marketing person who also has opinions

How You Like to Work

Best way to reach you

Email / WhatsApp / Calls / Slack

Feedback style

Async (comments on a doc) / Live call / Mix of both

Audience & Positioning

Primary Audience

Who they are

Demographics, role, life stage, income level

What problem brings them to you

The job they're hiring you to do

What they've tried before

Previous solutions and why they fell short

What success looks like for them

The outcome they're looking for

Where they hang out online

Platforms, publications, communities, influencers

Secondary Audience (if applicable)

Who they are

If there is a distinct second segment, who are they?

How their needs differ

What's different about what they need vs primary?

Competitors

List 3 to 5 direct competitors. We will audit their positioning, content, UX, and SEO as part of the discovery process.

#	Competitor name	Website URL	Why they are a threat
1
2
3
4
5

Positioning Statement

Complete this sentence to clarify your unique market position:

Your positioning statement

Complete the sentence above in your own words

What the Site Needs to Do

Main goal

One sentence: what is this website actually for? e.g. 'Get people to book a call with us'

The one action we want

The single most important thing a visitor should do. e.g. Fill in the contact form / Buy the product / Sign up

Second most important

If they do not do the main thing, what next? e.g. Follow us on Instagram / Read a case study

What does good look like?

In plain language: how will you know the site is working? e.g. 'I am getting 5 enquiries a week'

Sitemap & Content

Pages Required

Tick all that apply. Add any custom pages at the bottom.

Add custom pages

Number of service/product pages

e.g. 4 service pages + 1 overview

Number of case studies / portfolio

e.g. 6 case studies at launch, more added monthly

Custom pages not listed above

e.g. Partner directory, press page, event listings

Content Status

Copy (written text)

Copy status

Already written / Partly written / Needs writing / We need you to write it

Copy notes

Which pages exist? Which need to be created from scratch?

Imagery

Photography status

Existing library / Needs new photography / Will use stock

Photography notes

Style, volume, what's missing

Video

Video required?

Yes / No. If yes: length, purpose, and who produces it.

Supporting Assets

Testimonials available?

Yes (how many) / No / Need help gathering them

Case studies available?

Yes (how many) / In progress / Not yet

Partner / client logos?

Yes (send files) / No

Tech & Integrations

Your Domain & Hosting

Domain name

e.g. yourbrand.com. Who is it registered with? (GoDaddy, Namecheap, etc.)

Existing website?

Yes (share the URL) / No. If yes, do you want to keep the same domain?

Hosting

Existing provider / Happy for us to advise

Platform

CMS preference

WordPress / Webflow / Squarespace / Shopify / No strong view. Or tell us what you have heard good things about.

Why (if you have a view)

e.g. 'I want to update it myself without a developer' or 'It needs to handle a shop'

Tools to Connect

Email marketing

Mailchimp / Klaviyo / ConvertKit / None / Not sure yet

Booking or calendar

Calendly / Cal.com / None

Payments

Stripe / PayPal / Not needed

Anything else

Any tool you use daily that the site should talk to

SEO & Legal Basics

Search

What do you want to be found for?

In plain English: if someone Googled for what you do, what would they type?

Any existing Google presence?

Do you rank for anything already? Is there a Google Business Profile?

Location matters?

Is this local, national, or global? e.g. 'London only for now'

Legal Basics

We will set up the essentials as part of the build. Just let us know what already exists.

Already exists (share the URL) / Needs creating

Cookie banner

Already set up / Needs setting up / Not sure

Any industry rules?

e.g. FCA regulated, healthcare, food. Anything we should know about legally?

Going Live

How do you want to launch?

Quietly, just switch it on / Make a bit of noise on social / Full announcement. What feels right?

Who needs to know first?

e.g. Existing customers / Your network / No one yet, just go live

Will you manage the site?

Yes, I will update it myself / I will need help / Not sure yet

Support after launch?

Just fix bugs if they appear / Happy to discuss an ongoing arrangement

Anything Else We Should Know

Use this space for context, history, internal dynamics, brand sensitivities, past experiences with agencies, or anything that hasn't fitted elsewhere. There are no wrong answers. The more honest you are here, the better the project will go.